Florence Leech Ely

Monday, June 1, 1998

Florence Leech Ely

Oldest member of East Buffalo Presbyterian
Florence Leech Ely, 99, of Washington, formerly of Buffalo Village, died Sunday, May 31, 1998, in Washington Hospital.

She was born July 17, 1898, in Buffalo Village, a daughter of Nathaniel and Ada Moss Leech.
Mrs. Ely had been a resident of Hillsview Personal Care Home in Buffalo Township.
She was the oldest member of East Buffalo Presbyterian Church, Buffalo Township, where she was a teacher in the children's department, a teacher of the Pleasant Word class, a teacher of the Women's Bible class, and a member of the Women's Missionary Society. She served as secretary of the congregation for 25 years and was ordained an elder in 1965. Mrs. Ely also served as secretary of children's work for the Washington Presbytery for two, three-year terms.
A 1916 graduate of Hopewell High School and a 1919 graduate of Washington Seminary, she taught school for a year and was a homemaker.
Mrs. Ely was a local historian and enjoyed reading, crocheting and gardening.
On October 7, 1920, in Buffalo Village, she married Alexander Ely, who died in 1964.
Surviving are a son, Paul L. Ely of Washington; a daughter, Dorothy Huntley of Marion, Va.; a sister, Mary McGeoch of Indiana; five grandchildren, David and Greg Ely, Karen Cowan, Bob Huntley and Anne Huntley Speer; and five great-grandchildren.
Deceased, in addition to her parents and husband, are a son, Harold Ely, who died in 1935; and five brothers, Ira, Verner, Elmer, Irwin and Sam Leech.